by Chris Fox
“You are the first non-Ganog to come here in many centuries, Captain Nolan,” Hruk called. He leaned heavily on the longest spear Nolan had ever seen, a heavy pistol cradled in his other hand. “This is the city of Defiant, built by Nyar himself. It marks the place where he chose to make his stand, to fight back against the Nameless Ones. It was here that he met the terrible wyrm in battle, slaying the creature in single combat. The deed cost him his life, and his followers erected a tomb at the precise location where he’d felled the beast.”
“It is because of this significance,” Kokar interjected, “that survivors will gather here. There are warrens under the city, and the trees themselves screen the place quite effectively. Our people can survive here indefinitely. If we hope to restore some sort of government, it will be done here.”
“Captain?” Nuchik whispered over a private channel.
“What’s up, Private?” Nolan asked
“You’re going to want to see this.”
A video request popped up on Nolan’s screen and he tapped accept.
“Holy crap,” Nolan breathed. He studied the image, pinching out to enlarge the hologram. “That’s an Omega, isn’t it?”
“Pretty sure, sir.”
The image showed an Omega almost identical to the three that had so thoroughly trashed the Nyar defenders. It was overgrown with trees; its metal was tarnished and dull. A towering redwood grew from the knee joint, made tiny next to the Omega.
But that was an Omega.
“Kokar, Nuchik spotted something interesting a couple blocks from our current position. Is there anything you wanted to tell me? Like, say, that your clan has an Omega stashed away?”
Kokar turned to face Nolan’s mech, his fur softening to yellow-brown. “I did not think to mention it. The Omega you speak of is the tomb of Nyar. His spirt lies within the guardian—or so the legend says.”
“It is no legend,” Hruk insisted. All four nostrils flared as he sucked in air. His eyes were tight with pain, but Nolan noted that the older Ganog hadn’t complained about their pace. “Nyar did battle here, killing his opponent. Yet his own mighty planetstrider was badly injured during the confrontation. The leader died, and his vehicle died with him.”
Nolan blinked. “You never thought to see if you could fix it?” He guided his mech into a full run, the heat in the cockpit spiking as the fusion reactor hummed to life.
“You must understand, Captain,” Kokar explained. “We revere Nyar, almost as a god. He freed us from bondage to the Nameless Ones. His resting place is holy, and would never be disturbed. And even were it allowed, how would we attempt such a feat? Perhaps the techsmiths could repair it, but I seriously doubt it.”
“Maybe they can’t, but it’s possible we could,” Nolan pointed out. “Nuchik, any sign of trouble in the area?”
“Nothing yet, sir. Area’s clean. No sign of anyone, friend or foe.”
“That’s because you’re looking in the wrong direction,” Annie drawled. “Look up, people.”
Nolan called up an aerial feed, and felt his heart sinking. Half a dozen large, black shapes had appeared in the sky.
Ganog dreadnoughts. Now that they controlled the space around the world, the Kthul fleet had turned their attention to Nyar itself.
“They will invade in earnest now,” Kokar rumbled. “They’ll send their elites to take slaves, and to claim tribute. It might be wise to return to the ship.”
26
Extraction
Nuchik slammed back into the command couch as her mech shot into the air. Not in the way she would in a booster mech, but just due to the inertia from the mech’s powerful legs. She seized the crumbling edge of a broken spire, pulling her mech atop the eroded metal.
She hadn’t engaged the cloak yet; that kind of power draw would cook the inside of her cockpit. It wasn’t really needed—not yet, anyway. She was perched just below the tree line, which obscured her from anyone not directly below or above, as well as affording her an excellent view of the spire where the fighting was still taking place.
The Omegas had stopped stomping on the Ganog, and had returned to a rough triangle outside the city. There was a bright flash, then one disappeared.
“Captain, looks like the Omegas are warping out.”
“Noted. Thanks, Private. I’m guessing they consider the planet pacified, and are relying on conventional forces to finish the job.” The captain did that a lot—musing out loud—and it was something she’d never grow used to in an officer. Her former commanding officer, Major Reval, had played his cards close to the vest, never telling the men anything he didn’t have to. He’d expected his men to follow him blindly, trusting that he was right. And she had trusted him.
She still trusted him, even now that he was gone.
“Sir, there’s a cloud of cruisers and destroyers entering the upper atmosphere. Looks like those dreadnoughts have gotten closer as well.” Nuchik appended her video feed so the captain could see the sky above her. “Looks like we weren’t the only ones to notice. There are a good three dozen ships taking off from the spire. Almost all of them are heading toward your position.”
“That is expected,” Kokar broke in.
It bothered Nuchik that the captain had given out the comm frequency, but she supposed he needed to give the Ganog at least that much trust.
“The Nyar survivors are going to ground,” he continued, “just as we are. They know that their best chance of survival lies within those woods.”
Nuchik punched up the magnification. “Sir, they’re getting hit hard from above. A lot of those smaller cruisers aren’t built for that kind of punishment.”
As if on cue, the cruiser she’d been watching burst into flames, engines going critical a moment later. It exploded in a giant fireball, streamers of flaming debris littering the ground beneath.
“We’re not going to be able to protect them all,” the captain said. “Kokar, if you had to save just one ship, which would it be?”
The comm was quiet for several moments, until Kokar finally spoke. “The cruiser with the red planetstrider emblazoned on the side. I’ve tagged it. It belongs to Bruth, one of my father’s fiercest warriors and strongest supporters. If we can get her out alive, she will be able to rally many of the others.”
“Then let’s do it. Hannan, Annie, move into cover near the edge of the forest.”
A ping showed up on Nuchik’s mini-map, indicating where the captain wanted them to go.
“Nuchik, circle wide and start picking off anyone who takes an interest in our shuttle. Kokar—you, Hruk, and I will rush their position and try to assist.”
Nuchik stopped listening. She had her orders. She pushed the stirrups, guiding the mech into motion. It slipped soundlessly from its perch, landing at the base of the spire with a heavy crunch. Nuchik moved to a sprint, darting around thick trees as she guided the mech into the forest.
The ship would enter the canopy about a half-click away. She needed to find a spot where she could pick off anyone who followed the same vector into the forest.
She finally found a mass of tree trunks that had grown together, where the wood was thick enough to support the enormous weight of her mech. She climbed atop the trunks, laying her mech flat against the tree to minimize her profile. The only thing visible to the enemy was the heavy Theta cannon the mech was equipped with. Even then, only the barrel and scope could be seen; the stock was tucked back under her mech’s shoulder.
A cruiser roared into view, flames pouring from rents in the the aft side of the vessel. It tilted drunkenly, the result of engines producing uneven thrust. The pilot was good, expertly dodging a mass of trees—but there was simply nowhere to go. The vessel slammed into the side of a spire wall, the corroded metal giving way to the tremendous momentum.
The ship crashed to the ground, severely damaged. Nuchik zoomed in, scanning until she found an access port. Figures were already climbing out, and a black-armored Ganog helped the others out of the hatch.
“Captain, their vessel went down, but there are definitely survivors.” Nuchik swiveled her sights, scanning the forest where the vessel had entered.
Sure enough, three cruisers entered the tree line. Instead of the black paint job the Nyar preferred, these vessels were a deep, unwholesome green.
“We’ve got serious enemy reinforcements inbound. Three bogeys approaching from nine o’clock, and they’re dumping apes all around the crash site. If you don’t get there quickly, there’s not going to be anybody to rescue.”
“Acknowledged. Nuchik, start picking off targets, but fall back if they respond. Hannan, Annie, see if you can get into sniper positions as well. Use every missile you’ve got. Kokar, unless you’ve got a ranged weapon, hang back with Hruk.” The captain’s orders came clear and easy. “Yulo, are you monitoring?”
“Yes, Captain. How can I help you?”
“I’m going to try to convince Burke to do an aerial extraction. If he agrees, I’m relying on you to get the Nyar leadership aboard safely.”
“Of course, Captain. I will offer them whatever aid I can.”
Nuchik stopped paying attention again, sighting down the barrel. She waited until a Ganog’s back filled her crosshairs, then stroked the trigger. Its chest exploded, and the corpse dropped to the ground before it even knew it was dead.
She fired again. Aim. Fire. Aim. Fire. There was a moment when she worried the Ganog might rush her position, then the captain led a charge from between two buildings.
He feathered his mech’s boosters, shooting over the hail of plasma fire coming from the Ganog position. A swarm of piranha missiles erupted from his mech, breaking into many smaller swarms as they approached the Ganog. A flurry of detonations painted Nuchik’s screen temporarily white, then faded to show gaps in the Ganog line. At least a third of their front rank had died.
Hannan and Annie popped out from the cover, using the trees to screen them as they picked off targets with their particle cannons. Occasionally, one of the mechs would belch a small volley of missiles, usually ending in the death of multiple elites.
Then Nolan’s mech pierced the Ganog line. He was surrounded by elites, several of whom made the mistake of turning their backs.
Nuchik smiled, then began firing again. Aim. Fire. Kill. Aim. Fire. Kill.
27
Fall Back
Nolan knocked away a vibro-axe, lunging with his mech’s plasma blade. The glowing weapon pierced the Ganog’s throat, and a quick knee to the groin lifted it into the air. Nolan seized the elite with both hands, dragging it into line between himself and the next pair of Ganog.
He hurled the dying elite at its companions, then brought his particle cannon to bear. He melted off the first Ganog’s leg at the knee, then took a step back to aim at the second. It leapt the body of its companion, bringing a heavy chopping sword down at Nolan.
Nolan managed to block the blow with his plasma blade, but the force threw his mech to the ground in a spray of sparks. He rolled to his feet, looking around for his particle cannon. It was behind his opponent, and several more Ganog were already charging in his direction.
“Die, human!” the Ganog roared, charging again. It was nearly upon him when its head exploded. Nolan knocked the corpse aside, sprinting forward to snatch up his cannon.
“Great shot, Nuchik.” He thumbed the fire button, his particle cannon coring an elite through the chest.
“Thank you, sir.” Nolan could hear the smile in her voice.
A thick, black cruiser forced its way through the trees, branches snapping and raining leaves down on the combat. A pair of turrets spun in Nolan’s direction, and pulses of scarlet energy stitched a line toward him.
He feathered the thrusters, hopping back several meters, managing to dodge most of the pulses. But some cratered the armor on his right side, and chunks of superheated tritainium were flung across the jungle around him. Nolan turned and ran, juking through trees. The barrage continued.
“Burke,” Nolan gasped, as he pounded around another tree. The temperature spiked in the cockpit, boiling away the sweat. “If you’re coming, you’d better do it soon. Our position is collapsing.”
He spun around the corner of a ruined building, skidding to a halt, and extended his particle cannon through what had once been a window. Taking a moment to aim at the lead Ganog, he fired a shot that took it through the eye. The Ganog slumped to the ground.
The closest enemy cruiser had slowed, unable to pierce the dense canopy where Nolan had run—not that that bought him much time. He counted at least a dozen elites heading his way.
“Hannan, how is the package looking?”
“Your rush worked, sir. We’re picking off the hostiles approaching the downed cruiser, and the Nyar are holding their own…for now at least. Looks like three more of those cruisers are coming, and one of them is the heavy kind. We need to bug out fast, sir.” Her voice was tight, but she betrayed no other sign of the immense stress an officer always felt in combat.
“Noted.” Nolan leaned around the corner, just long enough to fire a small volley of missiles. The detonations caught three Ganog, all in a line. The closest was only forty meters away, and Nolan was forced to duck back into cover to avoid the explosion.
Burke’s best command voice barked over the comm. “Captain Nolan, this is Major Burke. Demetrius is inbound, nineteen seconds. Sitrep.”
It still amazed Nolan how much Burke had changed since Ganog 7.
“We’ve got at least thirty hostiles at the crash site, and three vessels incoming. There are half a dozen or more three minutes out. They know we’re here now, and are doing their damnedest to make sure we can’t leave.” Nolan turned his mech, sprinting into the foliage.
Trees exploded around him as the Ganog fired a barrage of plasma in his direction. He took hits to the rear armor on his booster, but the booster itself still registered as functional.
“Sit tight. Help is on the way.” Burke’s words were punctuated by a familiar sound: the whine of Theta cannons. A volley of super-bright synthetic stars shot by overhead, punching into the Ganog cruisers. Three of the lighter ones simply detonated, and one of the heavy cruisers took a hard hit to the aft engine. “Alpha Company has been deployed.”
Nolan spotted mechs moving through the treeline, each firing their particle cannons. The blue beams cut down the Ganog around the crash site, and the defenders used the distraction to rally. A massive female in black armor brought her axe down on the back of an attacking Kthul, then shot another Kthul in the face with a plasma pistol.
An answering volley came from the surviving Kthul cruisers, which ignored the Demetrius. Instead, they focused on Alpha Company. Nolan saw at least two mechs caught in a barrage of scarlet pulses. The one on the right detonated spectacularly, the explosion dooming its neighbor as well.
“They’re trying to keep us from the crash site long enough to land more kill teams,” Nolan cautioned over the comm. He opened up his external mic, setting the volume to max. “Ganog defenders, this is Captain Nolan of the Coalition. Your position is compromised. Leave your ship immediately, and fall back to the southeast. Our men will screen your position.”
Nolan knew that giving that order undercut Burke’s authority, but Burke wasn’t close enough to communicate directly with the Nyar defenders. Nolan was. He charged in their direction, firing a hipshot that caught a Kthul in the arm. Nolan juked right, barely dodging the return fire from the Kthul’s companions.
“Nolan speaks true,” Kokar’s voice boomed through the forest. “We leave now, or not at all. Come, make for the safety of the human battleship.” Kokar paused only long enough to see that his people were following, then plunged into the trees.
Most of the Ganog followed, though Nolan noted that the massive female was the last to do so.
“All right, people,” Nolan said, keying the squad-only frequency. “Let’s fall back to the Demetrius. Do what you can to keep the Nyar alive.”
Nolan spri
nted into the forest, making for the battleship that was descending into a clearing in the distance. Its guns were chewing up any Kthul who got close, but things were going poorly for Alpha Company. Nolan counted at least four smoking wrecks, and one mech had lost a leg. It was pulling itself along the ground, trying to make it back to the docking bay.
Nolan guided his mech into a run, pausing next to the damaged mech. He heaved it over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry, aware of his own mech’s hydraulics straining at the weight, then ran toward the Demetrius.
He sprinted up the ramp and into the hangar bay as explosions lit the forest behind him and the last few surviving mechs staggered inside.
28
The First Arcanotome
Khar watched over Aluki’s shoulder as she guided the cloaked cruiser over the magma field. Lava geysered into the air, forcing her to change course. She wove around the pillar of superheated rock, which reminded Khar of the tendrils around a sun’s corona.
“There,” Halut said, pointing to the west. “There’s a building there, under the crust. It looks like the tip of a broken spire.”
Khar peered at the area Halut had indicated, spotting a bit of white. The top of a spire had broken off, and only the jagged tip poked from the hardened, black rock.
Zakanna moved into the doorway next to Khar. She’d taken the time to bathe; her fur was now immaculate. “If that’s a spire, the lava must be hundreds of meters deep.”
“That isn’t necessarily a bad thing,” Khar mused. “It will have preserved the buildings themselves. We saw something similar on one of the Tigris worlds. Ancient Primo ruins were sealed for millennia, their inner chambers completely protected from the ravages of time.”
“Mmm, I will set down on that lava shelf. It seems stable.” Aluki guided the craft smoothly down to a flat stretch of black volcanic rock. It was duller than the surrounding shelves, hinting at its age.